tree sparrows..

outdoorguy · #1 (**permalink**) 18-01-2008, 08:50 PM

new here so don't know if this has been disscussed.. does anyone see tree sparrows in kent??? i used to see them when i started birdwatching in about 1980.. used to see them in our school playground... in east peckham.. be interested to here ur views.. james

paulchandler6 · #2 (**permalink**) 18-01-2008, 08:56 PM

Dont know about in Kent, but here in Oxfordshire they have become rather scarce. In th 80's they were regular in many places but now they seem to be seen regularly in only about 3 sites in the county. Guess it may be a similar picture in a few southern counties. Have seen them up north more regular.

Paul

Ollie · #3 (**permalink**) 18-01-2008, 09:02 PM

Would not know about Kent, but there are quite a few around in North Lincolnshire I do get the occaisonal one at our feeding station. I know at least three sites in North Lincolnshire where they can be seen.

Here's one taken in the village I live in.

Roger

GME · #4 (**permalink**) 18-01-2008, 09:06 PM

Just had to say - what a lovely shot Roger!!

Ollie · #5 (**permalink**) 18-01-2008, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GME

Just had to say - what a lovely shot Roger!!

Thanks very much GME
Roger

rlchew · #6 (**permalink**) 19-01-2008, 04:35 AM

I used to see a few on the road past Denge Marsh near Dungeness but not for several years now

.

I still manage to see them at the feeding stations at the Ouse Washes RSPB reserve and at Rutland Water.

I can still remember when I thought how rare Tree Sparrows were compared with the very common House Sparrows. It now seems that the House Sparrows are struggling too

.

Richard

aeshna5 · #7 (**permalink**) 19-01-2008, 06:43 AM

I'm hoping to see at least a few at Beddington tomorrow around London. The last time I went to Rutland Water there were none by the usual feeding station area- I was most disappointed!

Elizabeth B · #8 (**permalink**) 19-01-2008, 07:58 AM

Our first ever sighting of tree sparrows was at RSPB Bempton Cliffs - there were a lot around the visitor centre.

According to the RSPB:

The tree sparrow is scarcer in the uplands, and the far north and west of the UK. The main populations are now found across the Midlands, southern and eastern England. It is almost absent from the south west, Wales and the north west. Best looked for in hedgerows and woodland edges.

The RSPB: Tree sparrow

witham · #9 (**permalink**) 19-01-2008, 09:11 AM

We must have about a dozen Tree Sparrows in our garden they come every day to our assorted feeders, I'm not sure where they roost etc as they disappear as quickly as they appear but I read somewhere that they prefer previously used nest boxes and 'top up' rather than build their own nests from scratch and as we have a few boxes in our garden some quite high up in the trees which don't get cleaned out very often they may be in those. I also hadn't realised that both male and female have the distinctive brown spot on their cheeks I had thought it was ony the male. We had a person from the local Wild Life Trust at Horncastle down to see them a few years ago when they first appeared in the garden and we were put on their records, (fame) as they were then on the red list I don't know about now though.

Adam Cheeseman · #10 (**permalink**) 19-01-2008, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by outdoorguy

new here so don't know if this has been disscussed.. does anyone see tree sparrows in kent??? i used to see them when i started birdwatching in about 1980.. used to see them in our school playground... in east peckham.. be interested to here ur views.. james

Yep, down near Lydd, there is a derelict looking barn on Walland Marsh just north of Lydd village. There are always some hanging around here. Another place to try is around the entrance to the RSPB Dungeness reserve right by the main road.

Cheers,

Adam

witham · #11 (**permalink**) 06-02-2008, 07:43 AM

just an update, we were thrilled to count 14 Tree Sparrows on the feeders in our garden, when we did the RSPB Bird Watch, they were all in view and weren't counted twice,

DUFFY · #12 (**permalink**) 06-02-2008, 10:25 AM

Don't recall seeing any in the Thanet area (but that may be down to me not actively seeking them out). I have just checked the Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory web and they felt that it was of sufficient note to mention that there was one individual present in late Jan (25th and 27th). My only real sighting of these was when I was based in Viborg in Denmark where they were quite common on my bird feeder, more so than House Sparrows which I found to be unusual. House Sparrows were present in in numbers in the centre of town about two miles away so there was no problem with them being scarce in the wider area.

Ray

Chris Hawes · #13 (**permalink**) 06-02-2008, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam Cheeseman

Yep, down near Lydd, there is a derelict looking barn on Walland Marsh just north of Lydd village. There are always some hanging around here. Another place to try is around the entrance to the RSPB Dungeness reserve right by the main road.

Cheers,

Adam

I've also seen them around the entrance to the Dungeness reserve in the last 12 months.